


Sweet Cherry Pie

by Hinn_Raven



Series: One Big Happy Red Family [2]
Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: Adoption, Background Relationships, F/M, Father-Daughter Relationship, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-09
Updated: 2016-10-09
Packaged: 2018-08-20 12:16:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8248535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hinn_Raven/pseuds/Hinn_Raven
Summary: Carolina is Sarge's daughter. She might have picked up a few bad habits from him here and there. Drabbles and one-offs set in the universe where Sarge has adopted Carolina.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Anon asked for York and Sarge. Well, I sort of delivered. More like a dosage of angst, okay-ish parenting, and introspection with a side of Red Team shenanigans. (Still taking requests for this verse, so if you have something you want to see, hit me up!) 
> 
> Light Yorkalina and SargeGrey. 
> 
> **Warnings for:** Reference’s to the Director’s god awful parenting, grief.

Carolina flicked the lighter open again before snapping it close. It was a bad habit she’d been picking up lately. She probably should stop, before someone thought to comment.   

York sat down next to her, his tray bumping against hers for a second. He’d probably done it on purpose too “Penny for your thoughts?” He teased.

Carolina glanced at him, considering, before speaking out loud. “It’s my brother’s birthday,” she said, quietly.

York froze, clearly surprised that she’d given him a real answer. “I didn’t know you have a brother,” he said, after a moment.

“Two,” she said, although it hurt, because she probably shouldn’t correct him. Lopez’s loss still ached, years later. “I haven’t heard from him in a while.”

York glanced at her. “What’s his name?”

“Boomstick.”

York raised his hands into the air. “Okay, I get it, not my business—”

Carolina elbowed him in the side, laughing slightly. “No, that’s his real name. My dad…” There’s a moment where she paused, realizing that she had meant it. When she said “my dad”, there was not an iota of her mind that thought about the Director. She shoved that thought aside for later. “He’s rather avant-garde, I guess you could say.” There were words for Sarge, she was sure, but trying to explain would take too long and possibly share too much. She wasn’t ready to explain the Director to York, and telling him about Sarge would require that, to do him justice.

York laughed, not noticing Carolina’s preoccupation. “Boomstick, huh? What’s the other one?”

“Lopez,” Carolina said, and it had been far too long since she had said it out loud. “His name was Lopez.”

York gave her a look, and reached over and placed his hand on her leg, comforting and warm. She let him, even though it was far too open of a gesture for where they were. “Was, huh?” His voice was gentle.

“It was a few years ago.”

York nudged her in the side. “Only child,” he offered, even though she hadn’t asked. “Never had siblings growing up. What was it like?”

“Loud,” Carolina said. “We’re… we’re not a quiet family. Boomstick especially. He likes explosives. My dad does too.”

“Oh so it runs in the family, does it?” York tilted his helmet at her. Carolina rolled her eyes at him fondly.

“When’d you last talk to them?” York asked. “I know communication’s been shut down lately, but…”

“I talked to my dad when I joined the project. Haven’t talked to Boom for a while before that. We’re bad at keeping in touch.”

“You try to get clearance for a call?”

“The Director said it was unnecessary,” Carolina said. “I leave on a mission in a few hours anyway.”

York nudged her. “I’d say good luck, but—”

“I don’t need it,” Carolina finished. She leaned against him for a second, and wondered what Boom would think of York, when he met him.

* * *

_Flick_. _Click. Flick. Click_.

The motion was soothing in its repetitiveness. It gave her something to do with her hands, between the missions. Between the adrenaline and the blood, providing a distraction from the worry. Worry that never seemed to stop, only growing every day as she kept putting down more roots in this tiny backwater planet with barely any chance of survival.  

< _Incoming,_ > Church hummed inside her head, and she glanced up, distracted from her morbid thoughts.

“Smoking? Has Grif become infectious then?” Sarge demanded, sitting next to her.

“No Dad,” she said, laughing. “I just…” She glanced down at the lighter. The logo on the side was barely visible anymore. The name of the club was almost forgotten.

One day, she knew, she’d wake up and forget the sound of his laugh. She’d forget what it felt like to have him at her back. And maybe it would hurt less, but that didn’t make her want it. She ran her thumb across the faded paint, just as York must have done countless times while he thought she was dead.

“It’s a memory, that’s all.”

Sarge gave a grunt, and then reached under his shirt, pulling out a chain. She started, recognizing what hung from it. A single gold ring, and three dog tags. She swallowed. Two of them were his, but the other… “Are those…?”

“Lopez’s,” Sarge said roughly. “Boom has the other one.”

She bowed her head, closing her eyes at the old, familiar grief.  

“Who was it?” Sarge asked, tapping the lighter that she still held.

“His name was York,” Carolina said, quietly. “He was… I think you would have liked him, Dad.”

Sarge placed a hand on her shoulder. “Sure would’ve, if he made you happy.”

Carolina smiled, and leaned into his hand.

“Now!” Sarge said, slapping his other hand onto the table. “Enough moping! We’ve got two armies who still think they’re at war, the Blues are planning something, Grif is lazing about, and you’ve got those new training regiments to implement!”

Carolina laughed. “Dad, I’m _not_ throwing Grif off the rafters just to “teach him the meaning of air travel”. He’s flown before!”

“Nonsense! The man needs to learn the meaning of fear! How else will he be able to survive being dropped from orbit?”

“We’re _not_ training ODSTs.”

“Why the blazes not? Young lady, did you forget who raised you?”

“Dad, you’re scared of heights!”

“It’s very important to have a respectful and cautious relationship with Lady Gravity! She can be a cruel mistress, you know! She’s a sweet lover, and then the next thing you know you’re tripping over your own shoelaces over a cliff!”

“And here I thought the only relationship around here was with Doctor Grey,” Carolina said.

“Carolina, a man can have many loves. One is the Red Army! Another is my shotgun! A man has to treat his weapon right, you know.” He gave her a disapproving look. “And don’t think I haven’t noticed your refusal to stick with a single weapon, little missy! It’s disgraceful! It’s practically Grif-like!”

“I keep losing them!” Carolina protested.

“A true warrior can keep her hands on her own weapon!”

“Ooh, are we polishing weapons? I’m ready, Sarge!” Carolina somehow wasn’t surprised when the pink form appeared in the corner of his vision. Donut and Tucker seemed to share that ability to always arrive in time for an innuendo.

“Donut!” Sarge boomed. “Go find Lopez! Agent Carolina is going to be shooting at Grif! Er, I mean, she’s going to be teaching you boys how to dodge!”

“Yes sir!” Donut saluted. “Geeze Carolina, it’s so great that you’re spending more time with us! It’s nice for a Freelancer to be playing for _our_ team for once!”

“You know what, I don’t want to know,” Simmons said.

“ _Yo nunca_ ,” Lopez reported.

“No time for jokes, Lopez!” Sarge said. “Where’s Grif?”

“Why are we awake at this unreasonable hour?” Grif groaned, and Carolina spotted him on the floor, face down.

“I found some lockdown paint,” Carolina said, smirking beneath her helmet. “And Sarge has agreed I get to run Red Team training today.”

Grif was upright at a shocking speed. “Sarge, do you _want_ us to die?”

Sarge stared at him blankly.

Grif sighed. “Right, stupid question.”

“Don’t worry boys,” Carolina said, taking out her gun, already loaded with the pellets. “It only stings a bit.”

“ _Run for your lives_!” Simmons screamed, and then the fun began.


End file.
